Dust-guard for journal-boxes.



' G. L. MANSFIELD.

DUST GUARD FOR JOURNAL BOXES.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 4, 1908.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

@Y Wm. f'

UNITED `finTEN'r OEEIOE.

GEORGE .1.. MANsEIELD, .OF oHIoAGO,V ILLINOIS;

p DUST-Guam) FORl JOURNAL-Boxes.

. Y Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

l Application filed. J'une4, 1908. Serial No. 436,573.

have invented a certain new and useful' Improvement in Dust-Guards for Journal- Boxes, and declare' the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it pertains to' make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specilication. Y Y

My invention relates to devices for preventing the passage of dust to the interior of journal boxes particularly of railroad cars and other vehicles, and it has for its object to improve such devices and to make the application thereof easy and convenient.

In the most satisfactory forms Y of dust guards there are usually a plurality of rela-V tively movable sections so `arranged as to surround a central opening for receiving the shaft or axle, means being provided forV forcing the sections inwardly so as to maintain them in close engagement with the shaft or axle even after wear occurs. Because of this provision for effecting automatic adjustment to compensate for wear, thev openings in the guards before the guards are placed inl position will of coursebe of minimum size and smaller than the axles'or shafts to which the guards are to be applied, so that it is necessary for theworkmen to force the sectionsout of the positions which they ztend to occupy andA thereby make the openings large enough to `admit the axle. j

Viewed in one of its aspects the present invention may be regarded ascomprising a dust guard wherein vthe sections will be automatically latched in such relative positions as to leave the axle opening suficiently large to admit the axle upon the mere drawing apart of the sections by the workman before he places the guard in the journal box.

Where the dust guard sections are locked in extended positions the utility of the guard may be entirely destroyed through carelessness on the part of the workman in'failing to unlock the sections after the axle has been put in-place andj thereby permit the sections to spring against and bearupon the axle.

Viewed inf'a further aspectV my invention may be regardedascomprising a novel `form of dust guard wherein the sections, if after Y they have been locked or latched in extended positions so as to afford a large axle opening, will be automatically unlatched or tripped upon `the insertion of the axle or shaft through the guard, thereby avoiding the necessity for reliance upon the carefulness or attention of the workman when placing the guard in position. Viewed in a further aspect my invention may be regarded as comprising a dust guard which is simple in construction, efficient in operation, and which may be readily applied by even unskilled workmen.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will be hereinafter pointed out withparticularity in the claims; but for a full understanding of my invention in its various aspects and of its object and advantages reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying dra-wing, wherein:

Figure l is a side view of a preferred embodiment of my invention, a portion being broken away to more clearly show parts normallyl hidden,the vguard being ready to be insertedin a journal box; FigrQ is a viewV similar to Fig. 1 showing, however, the condition ofthe parts after an axle or shaft has been inserted, and showing also in dotted lines theiultimate positions of the parts following wear; Fig. 3 is a plan view looking at the upper edge of Fig. l; and Fig. 4L is a section taken on line 4`4.- of Fig. 2.

In the drawing my invention is illustrated as enbodied in a dust guard composed of two similar substantially L-shaped members so shapedthat when-they are assembled togethery they inclose a circular opening and v theV detailed description, for the sake of simplicity .and brevity, will be confined to this one form. I desire to have it clearly understood, however, that my invention `is not limited in its application to this particular type ofguard. Y x

Referring to the drawing, A, A represent two similar L-shaped sections, the long arm cof Veach ofthe sections normally resting against the end of the short arm a of the other. section. The. upper edge a2 of each of the shortarms is in the form of a semi-circle so that when the two sections are assembled together a substantially circular opening is inclosedy thereby. A groove B, parallel with the long arm, is formed in the end of each of the short arms andeachof the long arms is `provided with a tongue C which lies within seen that the two sections are secured-together by means of pins and slots which afford a capacity for limited relative movements. The outei` ends of the tongues C are preferably extended laterally as at c so as to overlie the bottom walls of enlarged portions b of the grooves.

D, D are springs each of which is arranged between one of the extensions or ears c and the bottom wall of the adjacent groove, each of. the springs preferably resting in a socket di* whereby it is held in position. The springs are preferably of such lengths that when the sections are assembled, the springs must be placed under tension before the pins can be inserted, the springs of course being under least tension when the pins lie at the inner ends of the slots. The parts are so proportioned, however, that the opening in the guard is of substantially the desired size when 'the pins lie in the outer ends of the slots. Therefore, after the guard has been putin place upon an axle or shaft, the sections are yieldingly pressed against the axle or shaft and, as wear occurs, are fed inwardly until the pins strike the Walls bounding the inner ends of the slots.-

Projecting inwardly near the outer extremity of each of the slots is a short branch c2 which affords a shoulder upon which the corresponding pin may rest when itis carried adjacent to that end of the slot and then moved laterally.

Assuming that the pins lie within the inner ends of the slots: then, when the workman desires to place a guard in positibn, he takes hold of the short arm o-f each section and draws the sections apart. As soon as the pins reach the far end of the slots a relative lateral movement talles place between the sections, the pins become seated within the branches c2, and the sections will be maintained in this position against the tension of the springs until something further is done. The result of the lateral shifting of the sections is to displace the centers of the two halves of the opening along the common diameter, namely in the direction at right angles to the long armspof the sections. Vhen the axle E is inserted into the slightly irregular opening thus formed it bears against each of the sections at one point only, namely near the outer end of the short arm thereof. As a result the two sections are drawn together and the pins are unseated and enter into the main portions of the slots. The springs then immediately act and force the sections together in the direction at right angles to this preliminary movement so that a complete bearing is formed around the entire shaftor axle. Furtherniore, as wear takes place, the springs, which are always acting, gradually force the sections toward each other until the pins rest within the inner ends of the slots.

Y It will now be seen that l have provided an extremely simple guard which is am omai ically locked in extended condition when brought to'that condition by a simple manipulation on the part of the workman and which will be auloinatically tripped or released upon the insertion of an axle or shal'i so as to spring into engagement' with the axle or shaft. Consequently the operation of applying the guard is extremely simple and there is no danger, after the guard has been applied, that the workman has le tt the guard locked in such condition (hat il will partially or wholly fail to perform its intended function. Furthermore the guard is made of a few simple pieces and can therefore be manufactured very cheaply.

slhave already statei'hit is not my desire to be limited to the particular construction and arrangement illustrated since in its broader aspects my invention may take rarions other forms as will be evident from the terms employed in the definitions of my in vention constituting the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. ln a dust guard, a plurality of relatively-movable members, means tending to move said members towaid a common center, and a catch device adapted to hold said members against movement through .said means and arranged to be tripped b v an axle upon insertion thereof through the guard.

2. In a dust guard, a plurality of relatively-movable members grouped so as lo leave a central opening, means tendingto yieldingly hold said members in such positions as to make said opening of a minimum size, and a catch device associated with said members for holding them in positions mal(- ing said opening larger than said minimum size and arranged to be tripped by an axle upon the insertion thereof through said opening.

3. In a dust guard, a plurality of relatively-movable members arranged to surround and closely tit an axle, a spring tending to move said members inwardly so as to reduce the size of the opening inclosed thereby, and means for automatically loching said members against the tension of said spring when said members are moved so as to make the said opening of a predetermined size.

4. In a dust guard, a plurality of relatively-movable members arranged to surround and closely t. an aXle, a spring tending to move said members inwardly so as to reduce the size of the opening inclosedv thereby, and means arranged to be tripped upon the insertion of an axle into said opening for automatically locking said members against the tension of said spring when said members are moved so as to make the said opening of a predetermined size. Y

5. In a dust guard, a pair of relativelymovable members, one of said members having a slot therein and the other having a pin passing through said slot, a spring between said members tending to hold them in the.

position wherein said pin lies at one end of the slot, and there being a lateral branch extending from said slot at the opposite end movable members shaped so as to form a central opening, there being a slot in one member and a pin lying in the slot and carried by the other member, a spring tending to hold said members in the position wherein said opening is of minimum size, and there being a short lateralV branch from said slot at a point opposite the pins when the mem` bers are occupying a position wherein said opening is larger'than said minimum size.

8. In a dust'guard, a pair of members shaped so as to form a central circular opening one half of which is in one member and the other half in the other member, one of said members having a slot extending in a direction transverse to the diameter common to said halves of said opening and the other member having a pin lying in said slot, a spring vdevice tending to hold said members ina position to reduce the size of said opening, and there being a short lateral branch from said slot in a position to receive said pin and cause the centers of the said halves of the opening to be displaced from each other along said diameter.

9. In a dust guard, a pair of members shaped so as to form a central circular opening one half of which is in one member and the other half in the other member, connecting means for said members comprising an L-shaped slot and a pin at each of two diagonally-opposed corners of said guard, and springs tending to hold said members in a positionto form a minimum central opening.

VIn testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE L. MANSFIELD. 

